wimshurst



N, PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAFNER. WASHINGTON. D C.

together are acted upon by a hammer until `or block of the metalintended to be formed UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY WM. VVIMSHUBST, OF DALSTON, GREAT BRITAIN.

SHEET METAL.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY WILLIAM IVIMSHURST, of Dalston, in the countyof Middlesex, England, gentleman, have invented certain Improvements inManufacturing Sheet Metal; and the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the principle or character which distinguishes them fromall other things before known and of the usual manner of making,modifying, and using the same, reference being had to the drawingshereunto annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereonthat is tosay: My said invention relates to the manufacture or production of sheetmetal, as for example lead and tin foil, as an article of manufactureand trade in a more expeditious and economical manner than hasheretofore been the case, by cutting the same from a block or solid massby means of a cutting mechanism, in lieu of rolling or beating the sameby means of a rolling or beating mechanism.

In the ordinary mode of making sheet metal, either cast pigs of themetal are subjected to rolling pressure under .several pairs of rollers,or when partially laminated a number of sheets are placed on each other,and either passed through a pair of rollers whose centers are madegradually to converge, or the said number of sheets so placed reduced tothe required thickness.

By my improved process, either a cylinder into sheets is first cast in amold, and then acted upon by a knife or cutting tool for its reductionto the sheet or foil form. When the cylindrical form is primarilyadopted, the detail may be somewhat as follows: A spindle or shaft ofiron or other metal is provided, the ends of which are turned so as tolit truly into bearings or journals. The center of this spindle iseither fluted or tinned, so as to allow of a perfect combination betweenit and the metal to be cut into foil or sheets. This spindle is placedin a cylindrical mold, and the metal is cast around it to the desiredlength and diameter. The spindle with the metal thereon is then placedin its bearings in a machine somewhat similar to a turning lathe, andmade to revolve by steam or other power. A knife or cutter of the lengthof the cylinder of metal is gradually brought 25,601, dated September27, 1859.

on the bed of a machine somewhat similar to an ordinary planing machine,the knife being fixed over the block, and made to descend a certainfixed distance just before the block of metal is pressed forward pastthe cutting edge of the knife, whereby a sheet of the metal of the sizeof the block is produced at each forward stroke of the machine. Ifpreferred, the knife or cutter may be made to move, and the block remainstationary.

Although I have described in detail two modes of carrying this inventioninto practice, I do not intend to limit the arrange ments to thosedetails, as my invention essentially consists in the production ofsheets of metal by means of any arrangement of cutters in place ofproducing such sheets by means of rolling, or beating, or crushingmechanism. And in order that my said invention may be fully understood,-I shall now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and forthat purpose I shall refer to the several figures on the sheet ofdrawings hereunto annexed, the same letters of reference indicatingcorresponding parts throughout all the figures.

Figure l of my drawings represents an end elevation of an arrangement ofmy machinery or apparatus for producing sheets of lead, tin, or otherductile metal or alloy; Fig. 2 is a front elevation ofthe same; and Fig.3 is an elevation of the opposite end of the machine to that shown atFig. l.

A is a cast-iron bed plate having two strong vertical pillow blocks B,B, cast on the upper face thereof, which constitute the bearings for thereception of the metal cylinder C, which is formed with large journals,so as to enable it to rotate steadily in its bearings. This metalcylinder before being placed in its bearings has a cylinder of lead I)or other ductile metal intended to be reduced to sheets or foil castover it in a suitable cylindrical mold, the supporting metal cylinderbeing laid carefully in the mold, so as to be in a perfectly centralposition, and

therefore concentric with the lead or other ductile metal cylinder castaround it; or this operation may be performed without removing thecylinder C from its bearings by inclosing it in a cylindrical metalmold, which is divided in the direction of its axis, and provided withsuitable fastenings for holding it together while the metal is beingcast.

A stream of cold water may be allowed to flow through the center of thecylinder C during the operation of casting, for the purpose of coolingthe metal from the interior gradually toward the surface or exterior,whereby a more solid and homogeneous casting is obtained than when suchcasting is allowed to cool from the outer or exterior surface toward theinterior. The surface of the supporting cylinder may be fluted, grooved,or tinned for the b'etter holding of the lead cylinder, and preventingall chance of its becoming loose on the supporting cylinder. Thecombined cylinders are then placed in the machine, as shown in thedrawings, and the plumlner blocks are tightened up. A slow rotatorymotion is imparted to the cylinders from the driving shaft E, whichworks in bearings F, F, cast on the side of the bed plate, and carries acone driving pulley G and endless worm I-I, which latter gears into acorresponding worm wheel I, fast on one end of the supporting cylinderC. In order to prevent back lash, a longitudinal adjustment of the wormH is effected by the end adjusting screw K. The supporting cylinder C isextended beyond its bearing at the opposite end to that which carriesthe large worm wheel, so as to form a pulley M. This pulley impartsmotion by means of a belt N to a cone pulley O, keyed on to the shaft P,which works in suitable bearings in the opposite sides of the bed plate,and is parallel to the axis of the cylinder C. This cone pulley givesmotion by means of a belt Q to the cone pulley R, fast on one end of theshaft S, which works in bearings T, T, cast on the front side of the bedplate. This shaft carries an endless screw or worm, which gears into anddrives the worm wheel U, fast on one end of a V-threaded screw spindleV, which works through a fixed nut in the under side of the slide W,suitable adjustments being adopted for preventing back lash of the slideW. This slide works accurately in grooves made for that purpose in thesurface of the bed plate, and it carries the cutting tool X, such toolbeing so fitted to the slide by means of slots and screw bolts as to bereadily adjusted in its position on the slide, as will be easilyunderstood on referring to the drawings.

It is obvious that the rotation of the cylinder C will cause the slide Wwith its cutting too-l to advance constantly -toward the center of thecylinder, and that the knife will thereby produce a continuous shavingor sheet. Vhen found requisite a stream of water or other lubricant maybe kept flowing over the cutting tool, but in most cases this will notbe necessary. As the cutting edge extends along the entire length of themetal cylinder D, and is adjusted so as to be perfectly parallel to theaxis of such cylinder, it follows that a continuous sheet of metal willbe turned off from the cylinder D, the thickness of such sheet dependingupon the advance made by the cutting tool during each revolution of thecylinder under treatment. Thus, by suitably adjusting the belts N and Qon their respective cone pulleys, the advance of the knife may beaccelerated or retarded, in the first case produc.- ing a comparativelythick sheet or foil, and inthe second case a thinner one.

The continuous sheet or foil, as fast as it is cut, is received on tothe collecting spindle Y, which is carried in bearings in the brackets Zand driven either by the machine itself or by the attendant. If founddesirable, a pair of friction drawing rollers may be employed for thepurpose of drawing the sheet or releasing it from contact with thecutting edge of the knife as fast as it is cut from the cylinder orblock, such friction drawing rollers, .with the sheet or foil passingbetween them, being held together by springs, and actuated by themachine itself through the intervention of regulating friction gear.

It may here be observed, that although I have illustrated a means ofproducing sheet metal or foil by cutting such sheet from a cylinder, towhich a rotatory motion is imparted after the manner of ordinary latheturning I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine orrestrict my invention to any particular construction or arrangement ofmachinery or apparatus for manufacturing sheet metal or foil so long asthe essential feature of my invention, namely, the use of a knife orcutting tool for such purpose, in lieu of rolling or beating mechanism,be retained. For example, sheets, of foil may be produced from arectangular block placed horizontally on the bed of an ordinary metalplaning machine, or placed vertically in a slotting machine, the knifeor cutter being of the same width as the block operated upon or of thesheet to be produced, whereby a sheet of foil will be cut or shaved offthe block at every stroke of the cutter or traverse of the block beneathsuch cutter. It is obvious that the actual cutting motion may be derivedeither from moving the cutter or the metal to be cut.

Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature ofmy saidinvention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carriedinto effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do not confine orfacture and trade, by cutting the same from a block or solid mass bymeans of a, cutting mechanism7 in lieu of rolling or beating the same,by means of rolling or beating meehanism, as this has heretofore beendone.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification beforetvvo subscribing Witnesses.

HENRY WILLIAM WIMSHURST.

Vitnesses:

J. HENRY JOHNSON, THos. A. BYRNS.

